The principle of Responsible Product Stewardship is the basis on which we meet consumer demand for a legal product that is a cause of serious diseases. Therefore, our products and brands should be developed, manufactured and marketed in a responsible manner. We also aspire to develop tobacco products with critical mass appeal that will, over time, be recognised by scientific and regulatory authorities as posing substantially reduced risks to health.

RPS8We believe that public smoking should be approached in a way that balances the interests of smokers and non-smokers

Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is often a source of annoyance to non-smokers and smokers alike and is considered by some public health authorities to be a health concern.
We think a sense of proportion needs to be maintained. For example, while outright public and workplace smoking bans may meet the needs of some non-smokers they prejudice the rights of smokers to consume a legal product and, in our view, are generally unnecessary. There are solutions to the problem of ETS that allow the accommodation of smokers and non-smokers.

Our role is to make clear our views on this issue, to suggest solutions that accommodate smokers and non-smokers and call for regulations that are soundly based.

We will:

Promote sensible public and workplace smoking arrangements with a range of stakeholders, including governments and building managers;

Encourage programmes that reduce environmental tobacco smoke;

Encourage our Group companies to have effective smoking policies in place.

We can work together with those who manage buildings where our products are consumed to help them develop effective accommodation policies and practices.

For our part, we will:

Work with them to explore solutions that work best in their environment.

We see it as the role of governments and society to take the lead in approaching public smoking in a balanced and proportionate way, based on sound scientific evidence, whilst it is the role of consumers to be courteous and considerate when smoking in public places.

We will contribute by:

Supporting the development of programmes and policies that accommodate the needs of smokers and non-smokers in public places.